Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (4th Series)

(Dreamwave, 2003)
™ and ©2003 Mirage Studios Inc.

There seems to be an ’80s pop culture revival party going on, and everyone’s been invited: G.I. Joe, He-Man, Transformers, Micronauts, and now the Turtles. Though it’s unfair to lump the boys with the toys — The Turtles were always much more than just another “concept” that moves merchandise — and it’s nice, not just to see them back, but looking the way they’re supposed to be.

It’ll take a lot to sponge away the memory of the animated Turtles, but this revival does a solid job of recreating the rough, raw look of the original series. But there isn’t much of a story here, barely a fragment of one. We don’t get a solid idea of just how long it’s been since we last saw The Sons of Splinter — just the beginning of a science-fiction mystery and a couple of action scenes. Which might not be enough to bring fans back to a series that’s become so discredited in their minds.

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